I spoke on a panel discussion yesterday about uses of social media at the American Public Power Association conference in Nashville. Pictured are my co-panelists Laurie from Nashville Electric Service and Tony from the nation’s largest consolidated utility in Minnesota.

Power company customers are often forced to be customers because there really isn’t another local power company. That poses some unique issues in how utilities deal with their customers’ concerns. What often happens is customers feel utilities aren’t accountable to their concerns.

Many of the utilities represented in the room shared the typical corporate reaction to launching social media initiatives: fear of perceived legal issues, resources, and general message or image control. When I asked what the biggest obstacle is to having a positive public image most seemed to agree it was the media focusing on angry customer reactions to various things including issues with tree cutting and electric bills.

Angry customers come to the media only after feeling a company doesn’t care about their concerns, and social media offers an inexpensive, controlled platform for those concerns to be heard and directly addressed. Imagine customers venting their frustrations on your blog rather than to hundres of thousands of people on TV or print media. Imagine empowering educated customers to become your biggest advocate with deeper insight into decisions that affect customers. Imagine developing a positive relationship with your customers over time. Imagine being the media you want to see in the world. It’s at your finger tips, and it’s cheaper than you might think.